Restaurant Review: The Juice Truck

I have been dying to get down to Gastown and check out The Juice Truck for a while now but more so when I found out they had a smoothie called 'The Special'. It's got coconut water, coconut meat, coconut milk, vanilla, agave and lime. OMG. My coconut wet dream. *drool

 They are located at the corner of Abbott and Water Street in a red truck.  But on the weekends they could be in Kits or Gastown so follow them on Facebook or Twitter for up-to-date news. The service is super friendly and sometimes they give you samples. :) I got a sample of the Avocado Pineapple. Wow. I always forget how good avocado is in smoothies. I should stop that. 

The menu!

The Special

It sure is special!!! I had to actively stop myself from downing it in 2 minutes flat. It was SO yummy. The coconut water is obviously super hydrating and the coconut meat adds some texture. I also love that its not sweetened with white sugar. Its all quality here.

The Green

I went back a 2nd time and tried a Cold Pressed Juice. I got The Green which is cucumber pressed with kale, parsley, celery and lime. You can sub half the greens for green apple, but I didn't. Straight up. It was yummy! I thought it was going to be a lot more 'green' tasting but the lime seasoned it up quite nicely. It was a welcome surprise. I wanted something uber healthy and detoxifying which it def was but the lime added that little extra to make it amazing.

I'm pretty sure I'm going back today, so check my facebook or twitter, cuz I'm sure I'll be sharing that pic! I might get The Blueberry Matcha or The Hybrid or maybe The Special again. I just love it so much. Check them out if you're in the area!

Peace

xoxo

K

The Greenest smoothie ever made

I know I know, bold statement right? lol

This morning I wanted a smoothie that was different than my norm. My smoothies are typically a very odd colour because I put protein powder and spirulina in them every day. Spirulina is a green algae that is high many many minerals and nutrients. This aquatic plant offers 60% all-vegetable protein, iron, essential vitamins such as vitamin B12 and phytonutrients such as the antioxid... Moreant beta-carotene, essential fatty acid GLA, sulfolipids, glycolipids and polysaccharides. Its deep green color comes from its rainbow of natural pigments —chlorophyll. I've talked about chlorella before which is high in chlorophyll as well. It promotes cell regeneration which is good for athletes or fitness junkies because it speeds up your recovery time. :)

Anyways, back onto my greenest smoothie ever.

Greenest smoothie ever

Ingredients

5 kale leaves, stalks intact

1 green apple, cut not cored

1 cup mixed fruit (I used a fruit salad someone bought me)

1 banana

2 tsp spirulina powder

2 tsp flax seeds

1 lemon, juiced

1/4 cup coconut milk, low fat
1/2 scoop Vega original flavour

5 ice cubes

water

Directions:

Blend it up! lol

I know some people are turned off my green food, especially drinks but I love it! To me it means that I'm drinking/eating something that is uber healthy. I know that I'm having something nutritious as green is the colour of life.

Another great point of spirulina is that is contains lots of B12, so if you're vegan or vegetarian and worried about B12, add this to your daily smoothie and your body will thank you. It also has tons of iron. So go get your green on!

Peace

xoxo

K

Vegucation: Salads and Smoothies OH my!

Smoothies are an awesome way to get a lot of nutrients and fiber in one glass. I love smoothies. I pretty have one every day. And lately I've been a little obsessive with it. I have at least one, but sometimes 2 smoothies a day. They are really easy on the digestive system. Some other benefits of drinking smoothies are:

• Provides a huge amount of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants
• Contains fiber for awesome digestion
• Provides the body with instant energy
• Protects the immune system
• Hydrates you
• Easy to make
• Easy to take on the go
• Add hemp, flax, chia, for protein, omegas, fiber, iron.....
• Add spirulina or chlorella for protein, chlorophyll and other awesomeness
• Add protein powder or shake mix (Vega)

Nuff said.

Every morning I have a smoothie for breaky and then at lunch I eat a big salad. When I say big....I mean HUGE. Its jam packed.

K's Big Salad
Ingredients
Lettuce - spinach, romaine, kale
Cucumber
Carrot
Celery
Boiled yams
Spiced chickpeas
Black beans
Baked tofu
Avocado
Hemp seeds

That's just what's been in my salads for the last few days. A mixture of those ingredients. I'm no dainty salad eater. My salads have to be full of diversity and bulk. There are so many other options too. If I had some almonds or cashews I'd throw them in too. Peppers, tomatoes, fruit, sunflower seeds, corn......endless.

YUM! Look at that lunch! BAM. Smoothie, big salad, peeled orange, apple, and lemon mustard dressing. Yup. I'm healthy. lol Oh a big bottle of water. Easier to track and make sure I'm getting enough.

I honestly don't know who wouldn't be happy with that lunch? It was awesome FYI. I have been feeling totally amazing since I started doing this daily. At least one smoothie and one big salad a day. Ups the raw portion of my diet up. Which has amazing benefits and provides way more nutrients by not heating them. I love cooked food don't get me wrong. But when I have a higher proportion of raw foods in my diet, I feel better. More energetic. My dinners are always cooked though.

Go-to Smoothie

Ingredients

1-1 1/2 cups frozen mixed berries

1 banana

2 handfuls spinach

1 scoop Vega (protein powder)

1 tsp ground flax seeds

1/2 lemon, juiced

2-3 cups water (adjust to your taste)

Other mainstay additions:

spirulina

hemp seeds

chia seeds

lime

almond milk

Sorry I haven't posted a new dinner recipe but I haven't been cooking this week other than these salads and smooties. But I shall tomorrow, don't fret. ;)

Peace

xoxo

K

Daily eats

I thought I would share a little bit of what I eat on a daily basis again. My birthday is coming up, I've got a lot of races to train for and I just like to be as healthy and fit as I can. We only have one life to live (LOL) so lets live it the best way possible!

I've been on a bit of a smoothie kick these days. I love smoothies. They are a great way to get a lot of nutrition is the most easily digestible way. The food is already ground up all tiny and smooth so that your body can digest it efficiently. It gives your digestive track a little bit of a break. We all know how important breaks are.

I started my day with this yummy smoothie. Its kinda my go to.

Mixed berries, banana, vega whole health optimizer berry flavour(or vega one or your choice of protein powder), 1 tsp spirulina powder, half a lemon and water.

To mix it up I'll add hemp seeds, chia seeds, carrots, spinach, kale, dulse flakes, fresh juice, almond milk or coconut milk. But this is my usual formula. Great for breakfast and also great after a workout. One of the best ways to recover after a workout. The fruit gives you immediate energy to your tired muscles and the protein and chlorophyll starts repairing and making your muscles strong.

Later for dinner I had this awesome combo of big salad, big smoothie.

The smoothie was the same as the morning but minus the spirulina and I added hemp seeds and dulse flakes. The salad was the BOMB!!! Omg. I had about 2 tbsp's of leftover homemade guacamole so I massaged it into some spinach and kale then topped that with dulse flakes, hemp seeds and sesame flavoured tempeh strips!!! WINNING!!! Seriously, I'm making this again today. Although all my guac is gone so I guess I'll have to make more. Poor me. Lol

If you know me at all you know I couldn't just eat that for dinner alone. I'm kinda a pig. Me loves me food. LOL so later I threw together a little quinoa sprouted bean dish. All I did was make a cup of quinoa and a cup of TruRoots Organic Sprouted Bean Trio with some veggie stock, garlic powder and chili powder then topped it with some hot sauce. Nice and simple. No measurements. Just freestyle.

It was light, nutritious and protein packed. Sprouted beans are awesome as they are extremely digestible and much faster to make. You don't need to do any presoaking. Yah! Ready in 15 minutes! :)

I also had a Simply Bar. lol Did you check out the review I did on them? Check it out here.

Eat clean, train mean, get lean!

Peace

xoxo

K

The Master Wrapper

I'm really into wraps right now. I've always liked them for sure. But the last 2 weeks have been wrap-tastic. Collard greens are what I've been using mostly but I've dabbled in some rice paper and lettuce wraps too so that I don't get bored. I put anything and everything in them from tofu to apples and sprouts to cucumbers and avocado to tempeh. Whatevs. I even put a recipe that I tested that I thought was a fail in it because I couldn't bare to waste all those precious veggies.

I got the recipe from VEGA. The company of Brendan Brazier, my vegan god. I thought it looked and sounded wonderful. Used some colourful ingredients and ones that I love, like dijon mustard. But I really wasn't feeling the flavour and I don't like it when a food dyes everything else the same colour, like beets. I rarely use beets even though they are super tasty. You can get the recipe here if you're interested. I changed a couple of things. I didn't use oil or have any chickpeas but other than that I followed it. 

SOOOO, to not waste it I threw it into my rice paper wraps and romaine lettuce wraps along with some other veggies and it was great! Actually I liked it quite a bit like that, just not on its own. Weird. 

Romaine lettuce wraps and sriracha

Refreshing like this. And nice and light. 

The next few photo's are of my dinner last night. I was running late to meet my friend Steve and he kindly gave me an extra 15 minutes so I could eat dinner. Lol. I threw these together really  fast and pan fried some tofu with soy sauce and put that on top of some quinoa for a quick dinner. The wraps all have various ingredients but I find with the rice paper ones is to not soak them for long. Just soak until they are soft, like 30 seconds. And lay down a piece of lettuce so your filling doesn't poke holes in the paper. 

Rice paper wraps

Fillings that I've been using are carrots, sprouts, tofu, avocado, stir fried veggies, red pepper, cucumber, hummus, and jalapenos. Not all at once.

The dip is just low sodium soy sauce and sriracha

Green smoothie and berry smoothie

 The green one has spirulina, hemp seeds, spinach, half a banana, lime, water and carrot. The berry one has half a banana, spinach, lime and water.

Winterized

Its so effin cold in Vancouver right now. There's barely any snow but was like -7 this morning. Felt like -10 though. Even with my ear muffs, leg warmers, boots with the fur and parka I was still freezing. But its supposed to get in the pluses tomorrow. Lets hope they're right. I'm just not built for this kinda weather. Lol

Tonight I'm experimenting with something that may or may not work out. There's a gluten free expo this Sunday from 11-4pm that I might try to check out. You can see the deets here. I'm very interested in going gluten free. I always feel better when I am. And I am for the most part. I don't eat bread very much and I almost never eat pasta or noodles anymore. Usually when I do eat noodles its rice or buckwheat noodles. 

My friend Steve told me about one of his good buddies blog. Its a health/fitness blog and it looks super awesome! Yah I said super awesome. I'm very excited about checking it out some more. There's some seriously good info on there and I think you should check it out. Click here to see. Good tips on keeping fit, which is good for all you resolutioners. Ha

Peace

xoxo

K

Daily eats

I get asked a lot what I eat on a daily basis. SO here's another look into what I eat for breaky and lunch. I make a boatload of soup and chili and freeze them for my lunches. My lunches are almost always something from my freezer and a salad or fruit.

I make a green smoothie every morning and have that as my breaky. My go to recipe these days is the one I posted yesterday. 1 banana, 1 carrot, handful spinach, 1 lemon (or lime), juices and some hemp seeds. Lots of water, blend on high. Today I threw in a pear as well. YUM!

This recipe makes about 2 16 oz servings. So I have one from 8-9am ish and then the next serving at 10-11am ish. Its a great way to wake up the digestive system. I also start first with a glass of hot lemon water, but having a liquid breakfast is amazing. It also sets you up for eating right the whole day. You have a better chance of making the right choices if you start off with a healthy breaky folks. 

Veggie Leek soup with carrots, kale and mixed grains and legumes

I just threw all the ingredients into my crockpot one day because the leeks would go bad soon and it was Christmas in a couple of days and I knew I wouldn't eat what was in the fridge in time. I thought it was going to be boring and too light. But the leeks are amazing! They add so much flavour. YUM. I used Vegta and very little spices. I can't even recall but not much.

So there you have it. This is what a vegan eats. Lol I think for dins I'm going to whip up a fried rice. I was at T&T on Saturday and picked up some bok choy and gai lan. I think I'm going to make a very green veg fried rice. That's gonna take a lot of chopping I think....sigh. Lol

Can you tell I got an iphone? lol Pics are much better now than with my blackberry and much more stylized. Ha

Peace

xoxo

K

Hump day vegucation

I had dinner at Kevin's house last night after 1.5 hour workout at the gym. I have been switching up my routines and trying to get stronger, especially my upper body. I'm doing Tough Mudder in June and need to have the ability to do 6 pull ups. I think I've talked about this before. So I've been searching online and using all sorts of sources to put together workouts for myself. I've been quite sore the last 2 weeks. Lol. 

That being said, I was SUPER hungry when I got to Kevin's. And we all know what happens then; I don't take a picture. But it sure was delish. He made an udon noodle stir fry with tons of veggies and tofu. With a black bean, lemon sauce. I had seconds. Tasty stuff right there.

Since I didn't cook last night, and I didn't cook the night before I was wracked with what I would blog about. Which is funny because I'm such a chatty person, who would have thought I would run out of things to say. Lol I did not. 

I came across this article the other day and thought it was quite interesting. Its about kale. Which is a green leafy vegetable that should be eaten as much as possible, if not daily. I LOVE kale. I eat it pretty regularly. I put it in my green smoothies, stir fries, stuffed squash or mushrooms, steamed, baked, um, well almost everything. Its super good for you.

It provides the 7 reasons why you should eat kale. They are (taken directly from the article):

1. Anti-inflammatory: Inflammation is the number one cause of arthritis, heart disease and a number of autoimmune diseases, and is triggered by the consumption of animal products. Kale is an incredibly effective anti-inflammatory food, potentially preventing and even reversing these illnesses.

2. Iron: Despite the myth that vegetarians are anemic, the number of non-vegetarians with iron-deficiencies is on the rise. Per calorie, kale has more iron than beef.

3. Calcium: Dairy and beef both contain calcium, but the U.S. still has some of the highest rates of bone loss and osteoporosis in the world. Kale contains more calcium per calorie than milk (90 grams per serving) and is also better absorbed by the body than dairy.

4. Fiber: Like protein, fiber is a macronutrient, which means we need it every day. But many Americans don't eat nearly enough and the deficiency is linked to heart disease, digestive disorders and cancer. Protein-rich foods, like meat, contain little to no fiber. One serving of kale not only contains 5 percent of the recommended daily intake of fiber, but it also provides 2 grams of protein.

5. Omega fatty acids: Essential Omega fats play an important role in our health, unlike the saturated fats in meat. A serving of kale contains 121 mg of omega-3 fatty acids and 92.4 mg of omega-6 fatty acids.

6. Immunity: Superbugs and bacteria are a serious risk to our health. Many of these come as a result of factory farm meat, eggs and dairy products. Kale is an incredibly rich source of immune-boosting carotenoid and flavanoid antioxidants including vitamins A and C.

7. Sustainable: Kale grows to maturity in 55 to 60 days versus a cow raised for beef for an average of 18-24 months. Kale can grow in most climates and is relatively easy and low impact to grow at home or on a farm. To raise one pound of beef requires 16 pounds of grain, 11 times as much fossil fuel and more than 2,400 gallons of water.

Very interesting right? Get some kale folks. Its also got lots of protein. And a ton of other vits and mins. The list is huge. 

Eat only the leaves, the stalks aren't easily digested. Throw some in a stir fry or anyway that you use spinach. Some people aren't down to eat it raw. If you are, the trick is the massage it with a little bit of oil and salt. I like it cooked the most, but raw is delish too. I never massage it with oil or salt as I watch my consumption of those 2 items. 

I didn't put it in my smoothie this morning as I steamed the last I had on Monday night to go along with my leftovers dinner but I used spinach.

Banana, carrot, pear, spinach, chia, hemp, spirulina, lime, water

Salad and soup! My Thai Curried Split Pea Soup

And yes, that is a dollop of hot sauce in my soup. Lol I don't leave home without it! 

Tonight I'm making my first risotto from scratch. Its from the book The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone. I've only made a few of her recipes but they have been good. I only didn't like one, the adzuki bean and squash stew. Not for me. This recipe I'm making has mushrooms and peas but I'm going to use edamame because I'm not a huge fan of just straight up peas. I don't hate them, just not a huge fan. Plus edamame has lots of protein and iron.

For a good laugh, check out the 10 naughtiest vegetables on earth here. I cried I laughed so hard. Those veggies need a spanking! lol

Peace

xoxo

K

Super Avocado Dressing

I have been craving avocado lately but haven't had any ideas on what I would do with it other than eating it on salads or Mexican food, until last night that is. I made this delish dressing that can go on so many things: Drizzled on roasted veggies, salad, brown rice, anything Mexican, quinoa, beans, etc. Could be used as a dip if you add less water.

Super Avocado Dressing
Ingredients
1 avocado
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp chili flakes
3/4 cup water (more if you want it more liquidy)
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp spirulina

Directions:
Put all ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth. Add more seasoning if you want or more water, depending on the consistency you desire.

I used this super food dressing to make a super food quinoa salad. Super healthy. Super delish. Super creamy. Lol

Super food quinoa salad
2 cups dry quinoa, cooked according to package
1 cup dry TruRoots Organic Sprouted Bean trio (or any other quick beans, lentils or legumes), cook according to package
1/2 cucumber, chopped
4 tsp pine nuts
3 tsp pumpkin seeds
2 tsp hemp seeds

Directions:
1. Put the pine nuts and pumpkin seeds in a dry pan and toss in garlic powder and half a tsp of Bragg's or soy sauce. Toast until crispy, but don't burn.
2. Combine all ingredients and refrigerate.
3. Once chilled, stir in the avocado dressing. Taste and add any seasoning you may need. ENJOY!

Super food salad

Thai Curried Split Pea Soup

 This is the delicious soup that I made the other night. You can get the recipe here.  It was SO good! I love lemongrass. Seriously, it adds so much flavor I can't even handle it. LOL

Banana Chocolate Delight

I eat about 6 times a day, so I need a snack at night. I decided to smoothie it up and made this delish creation.

Banana Chocolate Delight
1 frozen banana
1 cup low fat almond milk
2 tsp natural peanut butter (no sugar or salt added, just nuts)
1 tsp hemp seeds
1/4 tsp stevia
1 tsp cocoa powder
handful of ice

Directions:
Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. I like mine cold so I added more than a handful of ice. Use what you prefer. It made more than I expected so I only had half. But boy was that baby ever satisfying.

Peace

xoxo

K

Vegan MoFo Day 24: Thai Carrot Soup

I have never made or been interested in carrot soup but I kinda craved it this weekend and thought I'd give it a go. To my surprise and luck, carrots were on sale at my fave grocery store, No Frills. 2lbs for $1.00!!!! I've bought 2 so far, I think I'm going back for another. My Internet at home is down. Since yesterday. I was pretty bummed about this since I'm pretty sure I just came up with the BEST soup I've ever made. And I make a lot of soup. Good soup.

Thai Carrot Soup

Ingredients

10 carrots

1 ½ cups yellow mung beans

2 royal gala apples, chopped and deseeded

3 roma tomatoes

6 garlic cloves

4 tsp Vegeta

8 cups water

6 red Thai chilies

½ onion

2 lemongrass stalks

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 can low fat coconut milk

Directions:

1.       Put all ingredients except for coconut milk into a crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours.

2.       Remove lemongrass stalks and put in coconut milk

3.       Use a hand mixer or blender to blend until smooth.

Notes: Yellow split peas, red or yellow lentils would work just as great. I wouldn’t use green as it will change the color of the soup.

Believe me when I say this soup is delicious. Its pretty damn amazing. I was shocked at the deliciousness of it. Its got just the right amount of heat for a cold fall/winter day and is hearty enough to keep you full. Give it a go. NOW. lol

So tasty. GET SOME!!

I also made a coconut curry with Butternut Squash. I wanted to blog about it on Saturday and enter the Vegan MoFo Iron Chef challenge but I ran out of time that day and my Internet has been down since. Sucky. 

On the weekends I like to make my own juice and smoothies. I was too lazy on the juicing front but I had just bought some almond milk so I used that instead. This has 1 cup mixed berries, 1 banana, 1/2 cup water, 3/4 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup quick oats, 2 tsp peanut butter, 2 tsp chia seeds, 2 tsp hemp seeds and 1/2 scoop of the berry flavour Whole Health Optimizer by VEGA.

Fueled me for the day and nourished my body. Chia seeds are really great to add to a smoothie as they expand and take on so much liquid. This makes them more substantial which will keep you full longer. They are also packed with vitamins and minerals plus protein.

Knock on Gnocchi

I had a hankering for gnocchi recently after smelling someone at works lunch. It sure looked delish even though there was a dead carcass in it. lol So I decided to make myself some with the whole wheat gnocchi I picked up at Famous Foods on Kingsway.

Zesty Gnocchi with spinach:

5 Sun dried tomatoes, rehydrated
2 garlic cloves
1/2 lemon
2 handfuls pine nuts
1 bunch spinach
1 package whole wheat gnocchi
salt to taste
1 tsp olive oil

1. Cook Gnocchi according to package. Make sure not to over cook as they get mushy easily.
2. Put sun dried tomatoes, garlic, lemon juice, and pine nuts in a food processor and process till smooth.
3. Heat oil in a skillet and add the mixture made previously. Cook until heated thoroughly, about 2 minutes.
4. Add gnocchi and spinach and cook until spinach is wilted.
5. ENJOY!

It was really tasty but very filling. Gnocchi is def not something I eat very often but it sure is good.

On the weekends I like to make my own juice. My mom bought me a juicer for Christmas last year and I love it! I wish I had more time in the mornings to make it daily but its already a tough enough time crunch. I used to make juice with fruits but I always put the freshly made juice in a smoothie with berries and a banana so I opt for just straight up veggie juice.

Now I drink and eat some hardcore healthy foods but this time, it was too much even for me. I juiced bok choy, red cabbage and carrots. Then blended it with just a banana cuz that's all I had. It was WAY to veggerific. But of course I did not waste it.

It looks pretty and a good colour. I added some Hemp Hearts for protein. I saved half of the juice for Sunday. I blended it with a whole mango. That was DELISH.

I also made more of my fig dips for the office. Its the last of the season. Sigh. Apparently fresh figs are crazy expensive. So I probs won't be making any for a while....

I have been on this baking kick lately. Not sure why. I don't even eat it all (thankfully). I just make it and give it away to friends or bring it to work. Work peeps are my guinea pigs. The banana bread recipe came from Fat Free Vegan . There is no oil or fat in it. Other than what's in the almond milk. PS I don't drink soy milk, so I subbed for almond. I also didn't have any blueberries so I just omitted them.

Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 3 large over-ripe bananas
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) almond milk
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) agave nectar
• 2 cups (240 g) whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (240 ml) blueberries

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray or wipe a 9×5-inch loaf pan with oil (I used a silicon loaf pan).
2. Mix the soymilk with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and let stand until it curdles.
3. In a large bowl, mash the bananas and add the remaining lemon juice, soymilk, and agave nectar. Stir well to combine. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, and stir just until the mixture is well-combined.
4. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting and serving.

That's my FIRST EVER banana bread! So easy to make. And this recipe is pretty darn healthy.

So other than the soy milk and blueberries, I followed her recipe exactly. It came out light, fluffy and delish. The thing I would change for next time is I would add another banana and maybe a tad more agave.

I checked out this small shop near Tinseltown on Saturday afternoon. Its called Something Healthy. Sounded right up my alley so I gave it a shot. They had a vegan pattie made with brown rice, chickpeas, mushrooms, etc. Put it on a flax seed whole wheat bread with some fillings and voila! Great little lunch!

I'm not very good at taking pics of food sometimes. I am too hungry and too excited. Lol

My Jams: Mr Nice Watch, Lights Please - J Cole. Well the whole album really. Its a Cole World!

Peace

xoxo

K